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Park stifles Dodgers for first Phils' win

Park stifles Dodgers for first Phils' win

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By Todd Zolecki
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MLB.com |

PHILADELPHIA -- Chan Ho Park needed to pitch well last week to save his job.

He did.

But he might have secured his job in the Phillies' rotation a little more Tuesday with a good showing in a 5-3 victory over the Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park. Park, allowed seven hits and two runs in six innings, to pick up his first win with the Phillies.

Park, who had an 8.57 ERA after his first four starts this season, has a 1.50 ERA in his last two.

"I'm more aggressive, with my fastball, especially," Park said. "Today, I was a little different than my last outing in New York. I threw more sinkers today. It helped, too, because I knew these guys a little more. I had experience with them last year."

Park went 4-4 with a 3.40 ERA in 54 appearances with the Dodgers last season. His performance out of the bullpen for them is why the Phillies offered Park a one-year, $2.5 million contract. But Park only signed when the Phils promised him the opportunity to win a spot in the rotation.

Park won that competition, but seemed at serious risk of losing it before he threw six shutout innings Wednesday against the Mets at Citi Field.

"I was comfortable starting at the beginning of Spring Training," Park said. "I'm getting comfortable. To have back-to-back good outings, I feel much better."

Park worked out of a first-inning jam, allowing only one run. He settled after that.

"He did a good job when he had to," manager Charlie Manuel said. "He threw strikes. I thought he did pretty good. He took us to a place in the game we wanted to go. ... His last two starts he's come into his own with his command. He stayed within himself pretty good."

The Phillies tied the game in the third when Pedro Feliz scored from third on Shane Victorino's fielder's choice.

They took a 4-2 lead in the fourth. Jayson Werth got things going with a leadoff single, and Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw walked Ryan Howard to put runners on first and second. A double steal put them on second and third when Jimmy Rollins, who was dropped from the leadoff spot to fifth, singled to right field to score Werth to tie the game.

Raul Ibanez followed with an opposite-field double to score Howard and Rollins to give the Phillies the lead.

"He did a good piece of hitting," Manuel said of Ibanez. "A big hit in a big moment, too."

Werth added an insurance run in the seventh by stealing home with the bases loaded and two outs. He also stole second and third in the inning to become the first Phillie to steal three bases in an inning since Pete Rose on May 11, 1980, against Cincinnati.

"I was probably just as surprised as you were," Manuel said of Werth stealing home. "When I looked up and saw him coming, I thought to myself, 'What's going on?'"

Werth tied a franchise record, stealing four bases in the game. He became the first Phillie to accomplish the feat since Garry Maddox, who did it May 29, 1978, against Pittsburgh.

"[I was] just looking for opportunities to steal bags and not missing them, really," Werth said. "I saw something. I noticed something. I just saw an opportunity."

Todd Zolecki is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.